


A game where no one wins

by rhodestead



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26980912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodestead/pseuds/rhodestead
Summary: What happens when a secret agent disappears out of thin air? It becomes a twisted mind game. No one really knows what happened to Riley Davis. Angered by the lack of evidence and the growing tension between everyone as the emotions start to take over, Macgyver and the team scramble to put the pieces back together. Until one faithful clue will give them all the answers they need, even the ones they don't want to hear.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 47





	1. “Hi Riles it’s me, just wondering where you are…”

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters-

Riley woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing, and with clammy hands. She had a nightmare so vivid like she's never had before. She could still feel the dirt on her face, and the mud on her feet. She remembers the image in her head; of her being taken away from the comfort and warmth of her bed, still in her silky black pajama set, down in the street, the rain pouring down her face, weighing her down.

She recalls, as she touches her biceps, someone grabbing her by the arm at this exact same place, throwing her in the trunk of a car before putting a gag over her mouth and bounding her hands and feet together. She felt paralyzed. As a matter of fact, she was still petrified by fear.

The room was cold and dark despite the glimmer of light coming from one of the 2 windows that were touching her face. Upon opening her eyes, Riley cannot recognize her surroundings. She was not in her bed, nor her bedroom, nor her apartment. The ground was concrete which contrasted the softness of the carpet that covers the bedroom of her apartment. In an effort not to panic, Riley swept away the hair that had fallen on her face before noticing all the dirt on her hands.

Down her neck, she could feel a scarf that had been used to prevent her from making any noise. As she ran her hand down her legs, she could feel the cold iron of the chain that had her hostage to the pole against which she was resting. She stood up in shock but was unable to stand her as her knees gave in, she fell back down.

 _What is this place_ , Riley whispered to herself, _what kind of a nightmare is this_? She tried regaining control of herself. She once again ran her hand through her hair, making sure the back of her head hadn’t been banged on. It was intact, or at least as far as she could tell. She touched her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and her lips. Only a minor cut on the top of her left cheek and what felt like dust, but she was fine for the most part. A relief.

She then turned her attention to her clothes. She was still in her pajamas, which was damp probably from the rain. _Did I really go outside_? She still could not remember the night before. She then ran her hand on her legs and feet. Aside from the mud, she didn’t seem to have been bruises or cuts.

Physically, she was alright. But as she came to her senses, as she regained consciousness and her vision cleared, her heart rate elevated once again. She had more questions than the room could answer. She was cold, dehydrated and, most of all, she was scared. 

* * *

Mac’s 7 am alarm clock was buzzing unsuccessfully as the hungover agent had not one but two pillows covering his ears. Duty called. Grunting, Mac turned off the alarm and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. And by making breakfast, he meant toast and peanut butter. He had not the time nor the patience, and admittedly the skills, to make something as fancy as even scrambled eggs. While the bread was toasting, and definitely not burning, Mac took the time to check his messages.

Nothing much, as usual. A picture from last night courtesy of Bozer which he deleted immediately to save him from anymore embarrassment, a "good morning" text from Jack, always nice to hear from him, a "get your *peach emoji* to work" from Matty, always nice to hear from her too, and finally a “you’re late” from Desi, good morning to you too. Nothing from Riley, but she admittedly would go MIA sometimes. After letting go a sight of despair, the toasts were ready, unlike Mac. 

“Morning,” Mac said as he entered the war room of the Phoenix.

“You’re late,” replied Matty and Desi in unison, which mac brushed off before stealing a paperclip from the giant bowl on the table, which had been there for years now, and sat in his favourite chair.

“Where’s Riley?” Matty asked, curious as she usually comes in at the same time or just behind Mac.

“No idea I thought she would be here by now? I can swing by her apartment later to make sure she’s ok,” Bozer proposed.

“She’s probably just getting ready,” Desi said trying to reassure everyone.

But none of them had time to worry, as Russ appeared on the big screen in front of them, requesting assistance in a town nearby, as he struggled to contain chemical weapons from a factory.

As the team was getting ready to depart, Mac doubled check to make sure Riley didn’t suddenly appear as they were talking, but still no sign of his coworker.

“I’ll text her and send an agent to her apartment to make sure she’s ok,” Matty told Mac to put his mind to rest.

“Thank you,” he replied, but he still felt like he had a knot in his stomach. This was not like Riley. Sure she would go a few days without texts or call during her off days, but on Monday morning, she was always back to work.

Mac trusted Matty, but he still wanted to hear Riley’s voice, so he called her. No answer, straight to voicemail.

“Hi, Riles it’s me, just wondering where you were and if you needed anything… We’re heading to San Antonio to assist Russ so if you need anything, Matty is supposed to send someone to check up on you I hope you don’t mind” he took a long pause, “anyways, call me back please, I’ll stop by tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to @AidenMjx (twitter) for the grammar and syntax help


	2. Seven

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Riley counted the steps from the pole that took her hostage, in the middle of the room, and the single bowl sink, industrial style, on the other side. The chain was long enough - longer than the length it took to get to the sink. But Riley knew no matter how much space her abductors left her didn’t matter. There was no easy way out. She was still dazed, probably from the chemical they used to sedate her. Or whatever they did to render her unconscious. She wiped out the dust that had accumulated on the mirror, hanging on top of the sink. It had not been dusted in years, surely. The filth made her cough. She held both sides of the sink with her hands putting all her weight on it to relieve her feet. She tried to concentrate on her breathing. Her heart rate slowed down until she looked up and faced her reflection in the mirror.

At that moment, reality hits once again. She wasn’t home. She wasn’t in the comfort of her own bathroom. Her reflection looked back at her. She looked scared, sad, and distraught. Her eyes were deprived of any lights. Funny how less than 24 hours ago, she was singing karaoke with her friends. She remembers how she forced Mac to sing single ladies with her. They hadn’t had fun like that in many years, mostly since Jack left, the dynamic has been very different between them. Not better, not worst, just different. A tear runs down her face as she recalls mac holding her cheek, telling her she makes everything easier. It was karaoke at mac’s house as they have been doing every month for four years. Everyone was around them dancing and singing, but somehow, she felt safe. She felt happy - A total 180 from today.

Riley breaks down on the floor, sobbing. She rarely cried as she was thought to be tough and always show people her best side. But all the memories, the reality check, the unpredictability of what will happen led her mind wandering, thinking about the worst possible scenario.

  
Bringing her back to reality was the sound of the door opening. Startle, she stood up straight. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes wandered across the room, scared of what would happen next.

  
But no one came in. She heard something hit the floor, and the door was closed, locked, again. Acting on instincts, she ran at the door. She banged a few times, screaming for whoever just left to come back and show themselves.  
“Show yourself, you coward!” Riley screamed at the wooden door. “Whoever you are, come and face me if you dare.”  
She had no idea where the energy came from, probably from her years at the Phoenix. Or prison.  
Weakened as the adrenaline wears off again, she turns her back to the door and slithers to the floor. Her face was buried in her hands, and the tears were back. She wasn’t hungry for whatever her abductor had thrown at her. All she wanted was to go home.

* * *

  
“Did you try her phone?” Bozer asked his friend, who was pacing around Riley’s living room.  
“I keep calling. I left so many messages her voicemail is full. I don’t know what to do anymore,” Mac replied.  
“Did you call Elwood?” said Bozer, in full problem-solving mode.  
“I called Elwood and Diane. The last time they talked to her was last week. Hell, I even called Billy, Aubrey, and Jack…”  
“What did they say?”  
“Nothing, but I think I alarmed them…”  
“Mac! For all we know, she could have gone for a hike today and forgot she was working. She could come home any minute. Don’t go around telling people we don’t know where she is until we know where she is.”  
“But we don’t know where she is, Boz!” Mac was getting irritated, so Bozer knew it was time for him to take a step back.  
“I’ll be at your place cooking diner. You better come home and eat, or I’ll make you,” Bozer told Mac. None of them broke the eye contact.

Bozer left, and eventually, so did Matty and Russ, who came to help. Mac was all alone, sitting on Riley’s bed. He looked around, looking for any clues of where she could have gone to. Her wallet was there, but her phone was not. Her car keys were still on the dresser at the entrance, and her shoes are displayed in the closet. Where are you? Mac whispered to himself. He could still smell her perfume in the room. As if she was standing behind him. He looked, just to be sure. Empty.

  
The sudden knocking on the door had Mac jump off Riley’s bed and run down the stairs. He knew Riley wouldn’t have knocked on her own door, but still, he was hoping he’d see her on the other side, alive and well; looking at him with her deep brown eyes that made him feel at home; her smile that solves all his problems. He pictured her holding a bag of take-out food like she does every time they have a bad day. It sorts of became their tradition. A way to let the other know that they can go through anything as long as they were together. Maybe that’s why Mac felt, deep down, that he was lost. Because he lost Riley. He frenetically opened the door. He could hear his heart beating. His hands were shaking from the anticipation. He looks up and sees Desi standing there, her hand still in a fist position, ready to knock one more time.  
“You scared me. I thought it was Riley and wondered how she came so fast to the door!” Desi said, surprised to see Mac.  
“I thought you were Riley. I thought she was coming home,” Mac said, visibly upset.  
“I’m sorry I scared you. She hasn’t come back yet? That’s not like her at all…” Desi tried to reassure her boyfriend.  
“Sorry, I’m just… I don’t like this…”  
“Wanna go around the block and see if she isn’t out in a park or something?” Desi was out of options to help Mac keep his mind off of what was happening.  
“Yeah, sure, I guess fresh air won’t hurt me.”

Mac closed the door behind him. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave. Somehow it felt like he was looking for Nikki all over again. Except, this time, it wasn’t his girlfriend falling to the dark side, but his best friend vanishing. He could feel the knot in his stomach coming back. He wanted to throw up. He didn’t know which one was scarier.


	3. Dear Angus Macgyver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last thing Mac thought would happen when his best friend goes MIA... is this.

It has been 24 hours since Riley disappeared. It was a little over 36 hours since they last saw her. Although he finally convinced Mac to get some sleep, Bozer got suddenly awaken by the sound of plates smashing onto the ground. Startled, he ran into the kitchen, armed with a lightsaber, the closes thing to a weapon he could find. Ready to duel whoever had dared to come into their residence, Bozer stops himself when he sees his best friend sloppily cleaning the broken pieces of ceramic on the floor.

“Mac?” Bozer slowly approached him, placing one hand on his shoulder. The blond spy stopped what he was doing but did not look up or even look up. “Mac what is going on…” Bozer insisted.   
He could hear his friend sobbing, even though he was trying to hold back the tears. As he bends down to comfort his friend, he notices how red his eyes were, and how wet from tears his shirt neckline was. Bozer held Mac’s face up, without saying a word, hands him a tissue before helping him up and hugging him until he stopped shaking. 

It was the first time Bozer ever saw Mac vulnerable. Certainly not the first time he had seen him cry, granted, but this time was different. He wasn’t just hurt. He seemed defeated, which sounds like the opposite of Macgyver.

After a few minutes of silence, Mac broke from Bozer’s hold and finally looks him in the eyes. Mac’s eyes were puffy and red. He’s definitely been crying for a while. His hands are still shaking. 

“Tell me, Mac,” Bozer asked. Mac could see in his eyes that he wouldn’t take 'nothing, it’s all good' for an answer.  
Mac opened his mouth to say, but he was unable to make a sound. The tears came back, running down his face as he hands his friend an envelope, which Bozer opened.

_Dear Angus Macgyver,_   
_We have not met, not yet. But it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. You are not an easy man to get a hold of, but I am sure you know this by now. If you allow me, let’s skip the pleasantry and cut straight to the chase. You have something that is mine, and I want it back. As a show of good faith, I allow you 48 hours to deliver Shiva to me. You will find the address at the back of the envelope - no need to send in your troops. You will soon find out there is nothing valuable at this location. Do not try to play games with me, Mister Macgyver. If you don’t believe me, I will have no choice but take from you the thing you value the most. Miss Davis says hi._

_48 hours, do not be late._

“What… What is this?” Bozer exclaims.  
“WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, BOZ?” Mac snapped, both out of frustration and exasperation.  
“Don’t use that tone with me,” Bozer replied, putting his friend back into his place. “You’re not the only one hurting.”  
“I know I’m… I’m sorry,” Mac conceded.   
“So, what the hell is this?”  
“A ransom letter, for Riley, it seems,” Mac said as the tears came back.  
“For all I know, this is fake.”  
“That’s what I thought, too, but who would send a fake ransom letter? Who even knows we can’t find Riley beside us?”  
“There must be an explanation,” Bozer replied as he strikes the back of his neck, still in disbelief.  
“Someone wants Shiba, and they think I have it.”  
“Which you don’t.”  
“Which I don’t…”

They both stayed in silence, sitting on the kitchen floor. So many things were going through Bozer’s mind. _Where was Riley? Who was holding her? Why her out of everyone close to Mac? Was she given enough food and water?_ But only one thing was going through Mac’s mind. _I hope she’s still alive_. 

* * *

  
Mac and Bozer placed the letter in a sealed bag and waited impatiently for lab results. They had it analyzed for everything, from fingerprints to handwriting style.   
“It’s 3 in the morning.” A voice echoed in the background.  
Both government secret agents jumped upon hearing their boss’ voice.  
“Jeez, Matty, don’t do this to us,” Bozer told her, his hand on his chest.  
Mac didn’t make a sound, though, eyes glued on the screen.  
“What is going on, and why did I get a message saying you two were here at this unearthly hour?” She demanded.  
All Mac did was slide her the note. She could tell he was tense, stressed, and even shaking. She never saw him like that.  
“I never saw him like that either,” Bozer tells her as they both take a step back from Mac. She didn’t say anything, but Bozer could see in her face that she was worried.   
Matty takes time to read and analyze the note. She was as speechless as Mac and Bozer were.   
“Let me know if anything comes up, I’ll make a few calls in the meantime and figure out where Shiba is.”  
They both stared at Mac, who offered no answer.  
“We’ll get through this, Mac, I promise.” She added.  
“Thank you, Matty,” he said as she headed out the door.  
“Always, blondie,” she said back.

* * *

The beeping of the computer woke both Mac and Bozer up. 5:07am, it read on the clock. 

NO MATCH FOUND

**Author's Note:**

> I am writing this to get some writing practice. Please leave any comment on the structure/grammar or any suggestion that could help me out bellow it will be greatly appreciated! You can also send them to me at @detupton on twitter!


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